Trine works with area schools on Science of Reading implementation

Funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Trine University’s Franks School of Education has hosted workshops with teachers and administrators from area school districts to discuss implementation of the Science of Reading in the classroom.

According to the Indiana Department of Education, the Science of Reading (SoR) brings together research from education, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and neuroscience to explain how people learn to read and inform best practices for teaching reading.

“Ultimately, the Science of Reading is the various components educators teach in order to effectively teach a student to read,” said Alecia Pfefferkorn, assistant professor in the Franks School of Education.

Pfefferkorn said these components include, but are not limited to, phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

Planning grant

The Franks School of Education received a $75,000 planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., through its initiative, Advancing Science of Reading in Indiana (ASRI). ASRI is assisting colleges and universities throughout the state with integrating SoR-aligned methods into their teacher preparation programs.

With the funding, the Franks School of Education has hosted four workshops during the past several months with administrators and teachers from Central Noble Community Schools, DeKalb Central Schools, DeKalb County Eastern Schools, Fremont Community Schools, Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community Schools, Hamilton Community Schools, Lakeland School Corporation, Metropolitan School District of Steuben County and Prairie Heights Community School Corporation.

During the sessions, Pfefferkorn explained the Lilly Endowment grant opportunity and what the Franks School of Education has planned. She also provided a basic explanation of the Science of Reading and the resources available.

The first workshop featured a roundtable that allowed superintendents to discuss what their schools are doing and what they need in terms of Science of Reading. Next, principals and/or literacy coaches attended a session discussing similar topics.

On June 26-27, the Franks School of Education hosted about 100 K-6 educators for half-day workshops and discussions. During the breakout session, teachers discussed the resources they received and ideas for using them most effectively, what they are doing in their classrooms regarding the Science of Reading, and what weaknesses they have or what additional support they need.

“The interest from area administrators was overwhelming, and the information shared by area teachers will help Trine Franks School of Education faculty better prepare our teacher candidates for jobs in area school districts,” said Pfefferkorn.

Trine is applying for a Lilly Endowment implementation grant that will fund the expansion of SoR in the  Franks School of Education teacher preparation curriculum.

“The entire experience has been wonderful for us as a School of Education,” said Megan Tolin, Ed.D., dean of the Franks School of Education. “Educators don't often get to have these types of conversations across one district, let alone multiple districts. It was an honor to be able to host and facilitate these discussions.”

“I loved listening to the teachers share about what was working and what they need in regard to the Science of Reading. We are excited about our next steps and are grateful that so many folks spent their time with us. Their collective knowledge and experience will be an asset as we look to secure additional funding and support our teacher candidates.”